Ministerial Rustication: This President Jonathan Is Not Man Enough

In the end we are all sacked and it's always awful. It is as inevitable as death following life. If you are elevated, there comes a day when you are demoted.
Alan Clark
You're fired! No other words can so easily and succinctly reduce a confident, self assured executive to an insecure, groveling shred of his former self.
Frank P. Louchheim


By Fejiro Oliver
When an Ijaw man is born, rumor has it that he is thrown into the river for some time, to see if he can survive in life and eke a living on top of water; this I believe must have been the case with President Goodluck Jonathan. But with the decisions taken so far by him, I'm left with no option than to believe that his own ritual must have taken place inside a drum, where he was hurriedly brought out by his parents, as he gasp for breath. Honestly, this President from Bayelsa is not a full blooded Ijaw man; we seriously need to begin the tracing of his roots.

How else would one describe a man who left the criminals to pursue his silhouette if not a weakling? What manner of man would leave the fire he's supposed to quench and pursue after his bathroom slipper if not a coward? Such man deserves all such type of names calling under the universe.

Just in case you are wondering what is going through the minds of Nigerians at this moment; I will tell you. This is what we mean. What creature of a president will leave the indicted ministers to sack majority who are not burden to Nigerians? When I heard the rumor last night of an impending cabinet shake up…sorry, this is not a shake up, since there was no reshuffling done, but a sack, I had expected the seven (7) most hated Nigerian Ministers to be in the list, but the fisherman from Otuoke out of fright could only sack one of such in the person of now former Minister of Education, Ruqayat Rufai, leaving the most wanted five in the cabinet.

Nigerians have never complained about the ministers in Foreign Affairs, National Planning, Environment, Defence, Science and Technology, Land, Power (State) and Agriculture (State). Truly, we have not seen the need to cry blood over Zainab who was only a junior minister of power when Professor Nebo who should be sacked is there, though we agree that she has just been a bench warmer in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), without her people from Niger State feeling her impact. How has the issue of land and environment affected us, when we have commissioners controlling these ministries in our various states? It hasn't.

It wasn't Buka Tijani who introduced the failed GSM phones for all farmers, but his senior counterpart; so why sack him? Beside, with or without these ministries, our grandparents in the village have been feeding the nation. So you see, the sack doesn't affect Nigerians. How about the ministry of Science and Technology, headed by Ita? Honestly, I don't recall any announcement by the President that a Nigerian must reach the moon or space as part of her centenary celebration, which Ita failed to carry out. Neither do I recall his ministry being the cause of Nigerian Students failing woefully in Science and Technology exams and competitions.

Come to think of it; have we seen any need to blame the minister of foreign affairs for any foreign misdeed? Or was he the one that asked the Delta born Nigerian Judge in Gambia to demand for bribe? Certainly No! A Foreign Affairs ministry begins from the top leadership which Jona currently holds. Hence if there is a failure of foreign countries turning us down when we request for our prisoners to be brought home for trial or their maltreating of Nigerians in their countries; Uncle Joe should take the blame.

I truly do not understand the removal of defence minister, Olusola; just when we are beginning to see bombing reduced in the country. These sacks do not just make sense. When I wrote "ASUU STRIKE: I DOUBT PRESIDENT JONATHAN DOCTORAL DEGREE" last week, I had recommended the Education minister's sack for incompetence, and today she has been sacked!

Her sack alone is the only one that Nigerians dare to say is justified.
This is where the story of the real people who deserve to be sacked should begin.

What is President Joe thinking when he left the most notorious of them all, Alison Madueke (Minister of Petroleum) in the cabinet? Her continous stay in the administration makes mess of all that Jona stands for. In our satirical write up on him titled "BREAKING NEWS; PRESIDENT JONATHAN SETS TO QUIT: HIS RESIGNATION LETTER LEAKS", he has merely confirmed that he has sworn an oath with his chi to sink or swim with his favorite female minister, whose corruption files are with the now rested NEXT newspapers. Let her be sacked.

Here comes the failed minister of God, who doubles as minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Orubebe, who has come under heavy corruption allegations, which can be substantiated with facts. What am I even saying? Has Dino Melaye and his anti corruption groups not brought facts to the public, yet his kinsman from the creek turn deaf ears? A man who has been battling with the East West road since he came on board does not deserve another stay in office. Mr. President; this is the man that deserves to be extinguished from the cabinet, not Ita Okon.

Your love for crooks is not in doubt, dear President, but we do expect you to have honor in your dictionary. Your sacking the minister of Education is not unconnected with her inability to resolve the ASUU crisis. If this is so, what is the minister of health, Mr. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who got his Prof. Title fraudulently seating comfortably in the ministry doing? Didn't his ministry experience strike which left many souls dead? What is good for Peter is good for Paul. Onyebuchi exit is long overdue and keeping him longer is to risk the lives of Nigerians. A man whose medical colleagues have recommended his sack long ago is a risk too much to take. Joe, let him go. I recommend the Amazon, Dora Akunyili to be brought in.

Here comes your love for political 'thuggery' and favoritism. Don't tell me that after the entire political crisis in Rivers State which was engineered by your minister for education (state), Wike; you still left him in the cabinet. Honestly, my heart bleeds for you and the weakness that you were born with. I refuse to say you didn't suck your mother's breast milk well, but that is what it looks like. Wike who left his ministry and began fighting your supposed enemy, Rotimi Amaechi ought to be confined to political dustbin were you not a weakling. It's not too late to push him off the cliff, for we are waiting.

Whoever thought that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister will not survive this slaughter of yours must be living in Alice Wonderland. I didn't hear his name during the rumor of your then pending cabinet sack, but Nigerians do know that he is not a good material for leadership.

What role has he played in making the FCT better, apart from taking land from Turaki Yaradua and giving to Jesus Christ of Okirika? Bala Muhammed is like a rotten fish in a soup and should be thrown away. Let me take a guess; you left him so as to complete the job of imprisoning Desert Herald Newspaper publisher, hence killing the much awaited "rot in FCT" book; a book which when released to the public will indict you Jona and your wife.

Don't worry; just sack him and we, Tukur Mamu colleagues will tell him to erase your name from the book.

Of a truth, I do not know where to place the imperialist minister of finance and coordinating minister of economy, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, who happens to be my kinsman. But I do know that she has not benefitted your administration. If she is not advising you to remove fuel subsidy, she is fighting Shuaibu or telling you not to release money to ASUU. She has turned you into a pawn in her hand using her economic theory voodoo and deceiving you and your likes that the country will go broke if ASUU is given a meager N87 billion, yet she allows you to pay her and her colleagues whooping amount of money as salary, plus the looting taking place under her nose. She has the interest of the West at heart dear president and, such person should not be retained. Please terminate her appointment!

You love praise singing and sycophantic ministers, no wonder you left the parrot minister of mis-information, Labaran Maku. It is no longer secret that he is gunning for the governorship of Nasarawa State and he needs billion to prosecute such ambition, but must Nigerians suffer because of one man ambition? Maku has not merited his appointment as your trumpet, and by the way, hasn't Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe taken over his Job? Is Reno Omokri not doing the same information job?
Nigerians who are the ones are paying his salary no longer needs his services and they want him fired. Will you be bold enough?

The sack of the nine ministers with the exception of Ruqayat Rufai is merely beating about the bush. You have not done anything surprising or heroic; instead you have clearly shown how weak you are by leaving behind the real culprits to pursue suspects. You may not know it but your weakness and lack of decision has just been confirmed to Nigerians. Oh what will your children say when this day is recounted to them?

To the sacked ministers who saw themselves as Alpha and Omega, untouchable and invulnerable; it has dawned on you that power is ephemeral, fleeting and transient, a wind that blows to any direction.
You felt like lords when talking to Journalists, even screamed at them whenever they call you on phone for explanations. You felt like the king of the jungle, yet only a pronouncement by a mere mortal like you turned your destiny around in less than 24 hours and gave you the title, 'ex', 'former' and 'immediate past'.

Such is life for you. By the way, Uncle Joe Joe; this is an opportunity to right the wrong done to the Urhobo nation by appointing one of her own as a minister.

Let the jostling and politicking for the vacant posts begin. After all, didn't the holy book says; "his post let another take"?

These little things matter…

Written By Fejiro Oliver, a Journalist can be reached on secretsreporters@gmail.com and +2348026797588 (sms only please). Follow on twitter @fejirooliver86 and Facebook; fejirooliver86.

TheParadigm

Jyoti Amge, The World’s Shortest Woman, Launches Guinness World Records 2014

When Ranjana Amge was in the final months of her fifth pregnancy, she feared that she’d never hold that baby in her arms.

The doctor’s exams didn’t go well. Experts didn’t know what to make of her sonograms. Something was wrong.

Now, 20 years later, Amge has reason to be proud. Her youngest daughter is happy, healthy and world famous.

“All the bad feelings are erased, replaced by good ones,” Amge tells The Huffington Post. “We are lucky.”

At just under 25 inches tall, Jyoti Amge of Nagpur, India, is the world’s shortest woman. She’s a college-bound student, with dreams of making it as an actress. Still, she weighs just 12 pounds — only nine pounds more than she did at birth.

Even among dwarfs, Amge is tiny. “Game Of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage is more than twice her height. But Amge remains an optimist.

“It’s hard for me to reach things,” Amge says. “It’s good I have brothers and sisters to help.”

On her first trip to New York, Amge visited the Statue of Liberty, before a media tour to launch the Guinness World Records 2014 edition, which would include a profile in the Daily News, a visit to the ladies of “The View” and a press conference at the top of the Empire State Building.

InformationNigeria

Atiku to Obasanjo: You lied

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A former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted angrily to a statement credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in which he (Obasanjo) alleged that Atiku risked jail if he

travelled to the United States.
Atiku served as deputy to Mr Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007.

Garba Shehu, Media Adviser to Atiku issued a strong statement Wednesday from Abuja defending his principal, following corruption charges made by Mr Obasanjo in an EFCC magazine, Zero Tolerance.

"The former President is wrong," Mr Shehu said. "It is widely known that Atiku didn't enter government broke. He declared his assets at the commencement of his Vice Presidency and did so at the end of his term as required by the constitution, which is a sacred document to AA former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted angrily to a statement credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in which he (Obasanjo) alleged that Atiku risked jail if he travelled to the United States.
Atiku served as deputy to Mr Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007.

Garba Shehu, Media Adviser to Atiku issued a strong statement Wednesday from Abuja defending his principal, following corruption charges made by Mr Obasanjo in an EFCC magazine, Zero Tolerance.

"The former President is wrong," Mr Shehu said. "It is widely known that Atiku didn't enter government broke. He declared his assets at the commencement of his Vice Presidency and did so at the end of his term as required by the constitution, which is a sacred document to Atiku."

According to him, "Atiku, who is currently returning from China after leading a private economic trade mission at the invitation of the Chinese government, travels often and has a well-documented record of building industries and putting thousands of Nigerians to work. And this record, quite frankly, has been thoroughly investigated

While reiterating that Mr Atiku had no case against him by any arm of the law in any country in the world, including the United States, Mr Shehu observed that "President Obasanjo's repeated 'jokes' about Turaki not being able to go to America have become cliché, tiresome and not true."

The media adviser recalled that in 2006, former Mr Obasanjo sent his National Security Adviser, NSA, to stop Atiku from travelling to the US, saying that the Vice President risked arrest on arrival.

He said that Turaki spurned that advice, left Nigeria to land at the Andrews Air Force Base, the official airport of the US government, to receive the best reception ever on a visit to America.

"So, we are used to those taunts," he said.

He noted that when Atiku left office shortly before late Musa Yar'Adua was inaugurated as President, the former vice president spent three months in the US, adding that if they (US authorities) wanted him for anything, they would have met him.

"It is time to start dealing in facts. Specifically, the fact is that Atiku's visa to visit the United States has been recently renewed.

"Another fact is Atiku is one of the most investigated politicians in Nigerian history. And every investigation, whether politically motivated here at home or by the FBI abroad, has yielded the same result every time: not guilty.

"If Atiku is guilty of anything, it is crushing persistent attempts at re-writing our constitution.

"Atiku has chosen the path of optimism and hope. Moving forward, he will continue working to fuel Nigeria's economy through investment and job creation, while also passionately and persistently defending our young democracy," Mr Shehu said.

tiku."

The media adviser recalled that in 2006, former Mr Obasanjo sent his National Security Adviser, NSA, to stop Atiku from travelling to the US, saying that the Vice President risked arrest on arrival.

He said that Turaki spurned that advice, left Nigeria to land at the Andrews Air Force Base, the official airport of the US government, to receive the best reception ever on a visit to America.

"So, we are used to those taunts," he said.

He noted that when Atiku left office shortly before late Musa Yar'Adua was inaugurated as President, the former vice president spent three months in the US, adding that if they (US authorities) wanted him for anything, they would have met him.

"It is time to start dealing in facts. Specifically, the fact is that Atiku's visa to visit the United States has been recently renewed.

"Another fact is Atiku is one of the most investigated politicians in Nigerian history. And every investigation, whether politically motivated here at home or by the FBI abroad, has yielded the same result every time: not guilty.

"If Atiku is guilty of anything, it is crushing persistent attempts at re-writing our constitution.
"Atiku has chosen the path of optimism and hope. Moving forward, he will continue working to fuel Nigeria's economy through investment and job creation, while also passionately and persistently defending our young democracy," Mr Shehu said.

iPaidABribe

Micheal Jordan’s Daughter Goes Public With Her Lesbianism Status

Famous Basketball Legend, Michael Jordan might not be having the best of times, it all depends on his view on gay rights though.

Reports are coming in that his daughter Jasmine Jordan, who is a female professional basketballer is also a practising lesbian.

Jasmine stepped one leg out of the closet on Instagram earlier this week with a series of photos of herself cuddling up to her girlfriend, former Syracuse guard Carmen Tyson-Thomas.

Jasmine also wrote: “That little closet is holding me back”.

InformationNigeria

The Inside Story Of How A Fake PhD Hijacked The Syria Debate

BY ZACK BEAUCHAMP

Dr. Elizabeth O’Bagy, Syria expert, made quite an impression on Senator John McCain. During Senate hearings, the former Presidential candidate quoted at length from her recent Wall Street Journal op-ed painting a rosy picture of a mostly secular, pro-Western anti-Assad insurgency.

“John, do you agree with Dr. O’Bagy’s assessment of the opposition?,” the Senator asked the Secretary of State John Kerry. “I agree with most of that,” he replied.

Except Dr. O’Bagy wasn’t actually a doctor. Her PhD was fabricated, a lie she told her employers at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an influential neoconservative-aligned think tank, to get hired. Ironically, it ended up being the lie that got her fired Wednesday. This postmodern reenactment of the Icarus myth also provides a bizarrely informative window into the way that Washington’s foreign policy sausage gets made.

O’Bagy got her start last year, when she interned for ISW’s Iraq portfolio while completing a Master’s in Arab Studies at Georgetown University. Kimberly Kagan, the President of ISW, was so impressed that she hired O’Bagy to start even before the young analyst finished her degree. “Her insights and her [Arabic] linguistic skills were tremendous,” Kagan said.

But O’Bagy had already begun to misrepresent her credentials. Kagan told me that she “knew [O'Bagy] was a student at Georgetown in a combined masters/PhD program,” and that new hire was writing a dissertation on “female militancy in Islamic extremist organizations.” Several media outletshave repeated this account as fact in their write-ups of O’Bagy’s firing, all maintaining that she is still in the process of completing a Georgetown doctorate.

This is almost certainly false. Either O’Bagy was at one point enrolled a PhD program and dropped out, or she has been lying the entire time. Some evidence points to the latter.

To begin with, O’Bagy was enrolled in the Arab Studies Master’s program, which only partners with three departments for joint doctorate programs: Government, History, and Arabic Language, Literature, and Linguistics. Given her purported topic, she would have partnered with Government — according to one Georgetown PhD student who met O’Bagy, she had claimed a distinguished member of the Government Department as her adviser.

She is not listed as a PhD student on the Government department’s website. She does not exist in the university directory. A search of the entire Georgetown website turns up only one hit, a congratulations notice for her Master’s graduation.

There is “no evidence that she is associated with our department in any way; she’s not among our students as far as we can tell,” Daniel Nexon, a Government Professor who served as the Director of Admissions and Fellowships for all but one of the years she could have applied. The professor who was supposedly advising O’Bagy’s dissertation has never heard of her.

When I asked Kagan about the evidence of O’Bagy’s initial, ongoing deception, she demurred. “That I actually need to refer you to Georgetown for.”

After ISW hired her in the late summer of 2012, O’Bagy quickly went about using her top-notch Arabic skills to feel out the situation on the ground in Syria. She made a number of contacts among the anti-Assad insurgents, a feat relatively few DC analysts had accomplished.

Though we know those trips took place, it’s not quite clear who funded them. It certainly wasn’t ISW: when I asked Kagan how O’Bagy made all her Syrian friends, she sounded stumped. “That’s a really good question. I’m afraid I can’t really tell you that,” the ISW President said, acknowledging that O’Bagy’s expertise wasn’t gathered through ISW projects or ISW-funded trips. “She kept me informed about [her opposition contacts] and apprised me that they existed.”

However O’Bagy acquired her contacts, the work they helped her produce was influential and widely respected. Over the course of roughly a year, she went from a graduate student and intern to a pundit making regular appearances on Fox News and being published in Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and well, The Wall Street Journal. She was promoted to Senior Analyst and then to Syria Team Lead at ISW, and had become known as a go-to expert on the Syrian rebels among foreign policy experts.

But the closer Icarus flew to the sun, the faster the wax on her feathers began to melt. The first hard record of her claiming a doctorate came in April 2013, when she told a friend, Jonathan Rue, that she was “soon to be Dr. O’Bagy.” According to Kagan, she began widely claiming the Dr. title in May, right around when she graduated from her Master’s program.

That’s also when she took on as second position as the Political Director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), a pro-Syrian rebel lobbying group thatidentified her as “Dr. Elizabeth O’Bagy.” It’s in that capacity when she and Senator McCain likely first came into direct or indirect contact, as SETF assisted in planning the Senator’s secret trip to Syria.

The implicit tension between O’Bagy’s prominent public role and her fake credentials became unbearable after McCain and Kerry touted her work in the closely watched hearings on Congressional authorization for war in Syria. But weirdly, the first questions raised about O’Bagy weren’t because of anything she did wrong personally. The Journal op-ed cited by Kerry and McCain did not identify O’Bagy’s role at SETF, relevant information for readers of a piece that paints a picture of the Syrian opposition as relatively moderate.

The Journal’s mistake (which it later corrected) led to more intense scrutiny of O’Bagy’s past. The Daily Caller, which first broke the Journal’s omission on September 5th, did a follow-up on September 9th in which O’Bagy claimed to have written her dissertation.

More importantly, September 9th was also the day that a discussion broke out amongst a group of scholars about O’Bagy’s purported Georgetown credentials. Records obtained by ThinkProgress show a conversation, which included members of the Georgetown faculty, in which a number of academics expressed deep skepticism about O’Bagy’s Ph.D. Near the end of the conversation, one participant mentioned that “ISW was contacted” with the group’s concerns.

Just days before, on September 4th, ISW’s website had described her as “Dr. Elizabeth O’Bagy.” I confirmed with Kagan that O’Bagy had not updated the bio herself, indicating that ISW support staff had been notified of the purported change in O’Bagy’s status. By late on the 9th, the Dr. reference had been deleted, and O’Bagy had been dismissed — a move that was announced on the morning of the 10th.

Kagan credits O’Bagy with finally turning herself in. “I think the most important thing that I need to tell you is that Elizabeth told me [on the 9th] that she had not successfully defended her dissertation.” It’s not clear what finally prompted her to do that. I asked Kagan to forward a request for comment to O’Bagy but, as of yet, have heard nothing. I probably won’t: O’Bagy told Buzzfeed that she is “no longer legally allowed to discuss my employment with [ISW] or affiliate it any way.” So there’s a decent chance we’ll never know the whole story.

Regardless, O’Bagy’s rise and fall is yet more evidence that the talented people who populate America’s media and policy apparatus never seem to quite fully internalize: never, ever lie about something someone else can prove you wrong about. You’re going to get caught.

TP

Leadership: it is about Nigeria, not Buhari - General Muhammadu Buhari

The registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) -which was a merger of the main political parties in the country, has generated a great deal of excitement and rekindled the prospect of strengthening democracy and hope in our country, in place of national despair. By this act alone, the leaderships of the merging opposition parties have demonstrated that Nigeria, its future, progress and prosperity of its citizens are greater than individual ambitions. The APC is therefore a platform for Nigerians to have an alternative to fulfil their aspirations and realise their potential with a party that is strong and nationally based. What is more, it will help to arrest the drift towards oppression and anarchy.
Democracy is not just about free and fair elections, the consequence of which parties alternate to form governments. It also provides opportunities for fresh policies to move the country forward. That is why presidential systems have term limits, such as we have but the failed third term attempt is a clear indication that given the opportunity, some politicians will try and subvert the system. In Parliamentary Systems, where there are no term limits, members of the governing parties remove the head of government, however successful she or he is in government and popular with the voters. That was the fate of two British Prime Ministers, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, in recent times. Alternatively, provided there are free and fair elections, the electorate will vote out unpopular governments such as what happened with Mrs Ghandi in India.

The dangers of one party or an individual remaining in power for too long are two-fold: first is corruption of power. Power, it has been said, corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The second element is the temptation to absolutism, the rule of one party has the tendency to become the rule of a faction of the party and ultimately the rule of one person, a forbidding path to a Stalinist state.
Regrettably, after the euphoria of its registration, public discussion has been more about personalities and less on the benefits of the emergence of a strong alternative to the governing party and the prospects it offers to widening democracy and stemming the drift to impunity, where an elected President can say he doesn’t give a damn about public opinion.

The issue is not just about Buhari, but something greater than Buhari or any individual or parts of its whole, it is about Nigeria - its future, progress and prosperity of its citizens, living in peace, harmony, its evolution and integration. By joining the army, I had signed up to lay my life for my country. This was what my colleagues and I faced during our tragic civil war to keep our country united. Nigeria has been good to me. I was an orphan but it educated me and trained me and offered me the ultimate prize any citizen can hope for – its leadership.

My involvement in the political process is another call to duty and my desire to give back to Nigeria a little of what it gave me, by joining hands with others to provide viable options to our fellow citizens and evolve social and economic policies that are sustainable and all inclusive, by a caring leadership that is dedicated to the efficient management of the economy, social justice and individual liberty. Such leadership is not restricted to government alone, we all have roles to play – the National Assembly, the judiciary, the security services, the press and civil society groups, to ensure checks and balances, protection of all under the law, and accountability.

If some politicians find it more convenient to drag public discussion towards the weaknesses of Nigeria, in order to hide their incompetence and divert attention from their theft of public funds, it is the responsibility of the press to steer the debate to policies and programmes, notwithstanding the diversionary self-destruct antics of the PDP.

*General Buhari, former military Head of State, is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

PDP Crisis: Anenih Fires Back at Edwin Clark…Says They’re Misleading Jonathan

Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih has hit back at former Information Minister, Chief Edwin Clark, former Senate President, Senator Ameh Ebute, former Minister of Police Affairs, General David Jemibewon and former Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), General Ibrahim Haruna for attacking his person and his efforts at resolving the crisis in the ruling party.

Anenih had in a statement signed by him on Thursday cautioned Chairman of PDP, Bamanga Tukur and others making provocative statements over the crisis. In their own reaction, Clark and the trio of Ameh, Jemibewon,and Haruna had lashed Anenih for saying that members of the new PDP faction have geniune grievances which would be addressed.

In a swift reaction to the attack, Anenih who this time responded through a statementsigned by one of his associates and  member of the Nigerian Senators’ Forum, Senator Yisa Braimoh, called on Clark and his group to stop attacking Anenih and his remarkable efforts at resolving the crisis rocking the party.

Clark and the trio of former Senate President,Senator Ameh Ebute, former Minister of Police Affairs, General David Jemibewon and former Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), General Ibrahim Haruna, had under the aegis of Congress for Equality attacked Anenih for admitting that some of the aggrieved PDP governors had genuine grievances, which would be addressed to enable the party come out stronger from the “minor” crisis.

They had declared in a statement at the end of their meeting in Abuja on Thursday that: “Chief Tony Anenih should distance himself from the demands of these so-called ‘aggrieved governors’ and join Tukur to work for the party in truth and spirit.”

READ: PDP Crisis: Crack in Jonathan’s Faction, As Anenih, Clarke Trade Words

But Senator Braimoh, who represented Edo North Senatorial District from 2007 to 2011 on the PDP platform, today faulted Clark and others, saying that “while the position taken by Chief Tony Anenih as Chairman of the BoT of the PDP is statesmanlike and helpful to the process of finding solutions to the crisis, the attitude of Chief Edwin Clark and his friends inthe Congress for Equality only helps to worsen the crisis.  They should therefore emulate Chief Anenih.”

According to him: “It is sardonic that while elders of the PDP should spare no effort to put an end to the lingering crisis threatening our party, Chief Clark and his friends who should be voices of moderation are the ones stoking the fire and choosing to be part of the problem rather than the solution.  It is, indeed, pathetically sad that they are unconscionably widening the gulf between contending parties.

“They should have known, if they were not being mischievous, that as chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Anenih is expected to play the role of an impartial arbiter, which does not admit of dissembling.  This is what he has appropriately done in the circumstance.  His attitude does not detract from his commitment to the unity of the party and the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

“Chief Edwin Clark and his friends should know that they are not helping President Jonathan by taking positions that are capable of worsening the crisis especially when the Presidency and the PDP leadership have initiated peace talks with the aggrieved governors.

“It is patently fraudulent for Chief Clark and co. to present the correct position by Chief Anenih at promoting efforts at reconciliation as tantamount to identifying with the aggrieved governors. This type of shenanigans should not be the stock in trade of people who are supposed to be elder statesmen.”

He recalled that Anenih had, before now, in his speeches at the South-south PDP leaders meeting in Asaba on May 12 and the PDP dinner in the Presidential Villa on May 30, this year, spoken about some of the findings of BoT delegation to state governors on the platform of the party, one of which was the fact that some governors had complaints against the leadership of the party, just as the party had complaints against some of them.

According to Braimoh, “Permit me to quote Anenih’s exact statements in Asaba which were also repeated in Abuja: ‘It is true that some Governors have complaints against the leadership of the party; however, such complaints are not sufficient to warrant any rebellion as speculated. There have also been some complaints against the Governors.  In any case, the problems raised are not insurmountable as, indeed, they are already being addressed by the leadership of the Party’.”

“So, why are Clark and his friends trying to make political capital out of a non-issue?  Nobody faulted the honest appraisal then.  Why are they trying to ridicule themselves by trying to make an issue out of a non-issue?” he asked.

Abusidiqu